Tour opener denies Australia the home advantage: Clark

Published: Monday, December 24, 2007, 11:36 [IST]

Subscribe to Oneindia News

Melbourne, Dec 24 (UNI) Australia speedster Stuart Clark believes that India should have been greeted on the bouncier pitches of Brisbane or Perth for the opening Test starting on December 26 than on the comparatively placid track of Melbourne.

''The Indians don't get a lot of exposure to our bouncier surfaces, and you'd probably say Melbourne isn't one of those,'' Clark said.

He has also urged the administrators to schedule the future tour openers of visiting sides on bouncy wickets rather than on pitches which provide little assistance to seamers.

''We're all well aware that scheduling these days isn't a simple matter, but I suppose you'd just like to get that real home-ground advantage if it was possible,'' he said.

According to him the home team was denied of home advantage by staging the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne as the Indian team hardly gets to experience the pace and bounce that Brisbane and Perth would offer. ''That way, we could really ram home our advantage.

''The conditions in Brisbane and Perth are so different to what you find in the subcontinent, and it would obviously be ideal from our perspective to play the first Test of series in places like that.'' It was considered that Australia would surprise the Indian batting with pace and bounce but Clark feels that bowlers will have to do everything on their own as the Melbourne pitch will not give any assistance to pacers. ''I am not going into the match with any expectations for a fast bowler-friendly wicket.'' He added that he is looking forward to the last Test at WACA, in Perth which will be played after the Sydney Test that traditionally suits spinners. ''It will be interesting to see how that goes [at the WACA].'' UNI